162 Recently published Ornithological Works. 



species. Two excellent coloured plates contain figures of 

 Nestor norfulcensis, Coriphilus tahitianus, and Nasiterna 

 nanina. 



6. Goeldi on the Vidtures of South America. 



[Rot- uud gelbkopfige Aasgeier Siidamericas {Cathartes aura, C. urubi- 

 tinga). Von Dr. E. A. Goeldi, Museums Director iu Para. Sep. Abdr. 

 aus Scliweiz. Blatter fiir Ornithologie. Ziirich, 1897.] 



We know as yet very little about the yellow-lieaded Turkey- 

 Buzzard of South America {Cathartes urubitinga of Natterer), 

 and Dr. Goeldi now gives us some interesting information on 

 this much neglected bird, although he has not yet discovered 

 the mystery of its nesting. It seems to be mainly a fish-eater, 

 subsisting, however, rather on dead fishes than living ones, 

 and to be consequently found usually in the vicinity of water. 

 In the neighbourhood of the city of Para and on the adjacent 

 islands in the Amazons-stream, Dr. Goeldi tells us, it is by 

 no means uncommon. 



We agree with Dr. Goeldi that there are only three good 

 species of Cathartes — putting aside C. californianus (which 

 may perhaps be referred to another genus) — aamely, C. aura, 

 C. urubitinga, and C. atratus, and that several of the species 

 allowed in the first volume of the British Museum Catalogue 

 are invalid. But it is not quite the case, as he alleges, that 

 no one has noticed C. urubitinga since the days of Natterer. 

 The yellow-headed Cathartes has been received alive at the 

 London Zoological Gardens more than once. It is duly 

 recognized in the Catalogue of Vertebrates (see ed, 8, p. 393, 

 and td. 9, p. 406), and its name is registered in Sclater and 

 Salvin^s ' Nomenclator.^ When seen alive, its distinctness 

 from C. aura is at once apparent. 



7. Hartert on Doherty's Collections from the Eastern 

 Archipelago. 



[An Account of the Collections of Birds made by Mr. William Doberty 

 in the Eastern Archipelago. By Ernst Hartert. Novitates Zool. iii. 

 p. 537, 1896.] 



Mr. William Doherty appears to have become a most 



